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Israel Approves Plan to Register West Bank Area C Lands as State Property

Critics warn the new Israeli-run process will shift unproven plots to state ownership, raising the risk of large-scale dispossession.

Overview

  • The cabinet authorized resuming land registration for the first time since 1967 and allocated nearly €700,000 to launch work in Area C.
  • Area C covers about 60 percent of the West Bank and much of it has never been formally registered, creating a large pool of parcels subject to review.
  • Claimants must present title documents, with NGOs warning that missing records could trigger mass expropriation and facilitate settlement expansion.
  • The resolution sets a lengthy timetable, estimating at least 18 months per parcel and targeting registration of 15 percent of lands within five years.
  • Palestinian leaders condemned the move as a grave breach of international law, Israeli ministers backing it cited legal certainty, and the White House reiterated President Donald Trump’s opposition to annexation.